This is the second story of yours that I have read. You are a wonderfully skilled writer, marrying a “literary” style with what is, essentially, genre writing. You write terrific sentences that reward close attention, even if it means taking a bit of time to untangle their meaning.

As for “Can’t Not” itself, you captured Quatre convincingly. Moreover, I loved your delving into the emotional heart of making music. I am an occasional keyboard player and composer myself, and it all felt true to me.

There were a few tiny issues with copyediting (for example, “lightning” is what you meant when you wrote “lightening”), but none of these distracted me from the emotional heart of the piece.

this was possibly the best characterization of quatre i've ever seen.

and i've read a few amazing ones; they never can fit with the story as well as this one. i think im in love

Brilliant.

I've always been a little annoyed with how naive Quatre seems in the beginning of the series. You've put a whole new spin on his character and I like him a lot more this way.

I'm also putting Dewitt's book on my must-read list.

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SO MUCH LOVE! *_*

Would you ever do a continuation on this? :D (Waiting for that kiss they didn't yet get to share...)

I must say that this was the best Quatre drabble/characterization I have ever read. Your mathematical and instrumental terms made it all the more fascinating to read, and to see Quatre's varying emotions, his intelligence, and interactions with others made this fic intense! Your Quatre is a Gundam Pilot, and while you often include Quatre as a Son, Quatre as a Brother and Quatre as a Friend, the Gundam Pilot Quatre was the most rewarding to read. I say that because it's so hard to hit him on the spot. You do well to mesh Quatre's beliefs with reasoning, and all of a sudden, the series makes a little more sense now. Give the other side a chance. What a great theme, and now I could see why he surrendered to Trowa (who was also very well written). You combine the perfect amount of Quatre's training, past, emotions and expertise to fully create one hell of a drabble and one hell of a character!

I loved your voice in this... so technical and different. Not so emotional and floofy, which Quatre is often saddled with. This shows off the real strategist that he is. Great fic! I just loved it!

I've tried to review this story a couple of times before, and the review just didn't seem to do it justice. (Very Wufei of me)

I absolutely love it. First off, you put in some of very favourite scenes from the series...the flamingoes on Sandrock, the first meeting between Tro and Quatre, and Trowa walking away next day...Ho hum!

And you wrapped them up in a perfect Quatre POV with some wonderful little details to boot. I think KS actually pointed out my very favourite lines already, but I loved Quatre's reason for learning the violin, how much he hated having to kill but was perfectly capable of doing so if necessary, and how..indulgent he was with the Maguanacs. And how awestruck he was by the Earth, something that really comes across in the show, also.

His personality just shines throught the whole story; the almost scary intelligence, total focus on what he's doing, how very much he dislikes being treated as a child, how remorseful he is when he has to kill. The line about 'my first phantom' just sent sshivers down my spine; the first of a long line of phantoms.

And yes, there is defintiely something there from the start between him and Trowa.

And, dear me, such a way to treat a guest! Such appallingly bad manners! Even if Trowa wasn't complaining at all...Some nice little hints in there about Trowa's past too.

Lovely, lovely story. Thank you so much!

I'm really not one for leaving reviews, but this story needed one. This is a very impressive work of fiction.

This is really good! Continue stuff like this..and bdw is this complete?...

I'll be blunt, this was very good. I have never once imagined Quatre the way you wrote him here, but now I do believe I'll find it impossible to see him any other way. Simply it's odd (in my mind) for him to be anything but a one-sided, lovable and gentle guy. Your story truly brought to life just how much of a three-dimensional character that he is.

I think I got the "A/B life" thing, but the "H" thing I had a hard time following. However, the beginning was spectacular! I don't think I've once ever been so excited about a crash landing! Seriously, fight scenes put me to sleep, but just the intensity of it was just great. Oh, did I mention I loved when Trowa came along? He didn't say much, but what he did say made all the difference. Oh, and the bedroom scene was nice... I doubt anyone will disagree with you there.

I felt so enlightened with the quotes and Chopin, so thanks for the added bonus! If you write more Quatre-centric stories, I'll most certainly be there to read them!

Thanks a lot for writing this! :]

I've been waiting for it to happen. This story where Quatre is as I see him. I found one err in your story, but it is so inconsequential that I have a feeling you did it on purpose. Well written. It's like reading a modern day Shakespeare

This was one of the best and most unique versions of Quatre I have come across. It holds his intelligence (deriving all that from the name Trowa) to his immaturity (frightening and seducing a guest. Such shocking bad manners) which ties in to the politeness.

I was really pleased by your portrayal of the surrender scene. It wasn't so much Trowa so much as the failure of his mission which I felt worked very well with his obviously superior mind. Well do I know the impatience of trying to have someone reach a conclusion that I felt was obvious.

I admit I still don't quite get the " A dies at time t of heart failure (..)" thing. I see that it's related somewhat to the soul and how one measures the worth of a life but I don't quite get the whole significance of it. It's used so often and to measure a character... I feel like I'm missing a big puzzle piece.

All in all, kudos! I really hope you write Quatre's first meetings with the other pilots. I would like to see his impression on them and even more importantly, how his perspective changes.

I love the details and descriptive words you used to at atmosphere, like here: “04, this is Ground.” A pause, a seedy rustle of static. “You sure you’re ready for this?”

and here: I grind my teeth, my cool morphing to a freezing block of ice in my chest. “Please advise,” I say very slowly.

I liked how you put this, making the scene and relationship come alive: I suffer being handled, pulled from the shuttle, helped out of my suit. Rashid is there, his face morphed and twisted with exasperated concern, other frantic faces exclaiming “Master Quatre!” this and “Master Quatre!” that. I muster as much of my dignity as I can and pull away. I order them back to their mobile suits. I go to retrieve mine, ignoring the jelly in my knees, the extraordinary heat on the back of my neck.

One suggestions for readability and clarity: I missed the significance of this on the first pass through, and so the material that followed confused me, seemingly out of time and space, "In retrospect, meeting H was a wholesomely absurd affair."

For folks like me, a bit more transition would help make the distinction clearer between the here-and-now and the past. Also, referring to H as Instructor H or mentioning he was one of the doctors or something screamingly blatant like that the first time H was mentioned would have helped me too. Again, for slow folks like me, putting all the past dialog/interaction in italics would do the trick. It doesn't change the story, just makes it easier to read and understand.

This part was simply charming. What a cunning, and probably annoying child Quatre was! "I played Rachmaninoff’s Prelude in C Minor anytime I was out of sorts with my father, which was rather often...When I was six, my father moved the grand piano...When I was six, I picked up the violin so I could play anywhere I wanted."

Very sweet and hot- blast Rashid's intrusion anyway: “To see if they are here to give the other side a chance?” he says with a small smile, a rogue’s smile and drier than the desert outside. I think maybe I could fall in love with that smile.

My chin lifts a little, but I am smiling too. “It’s important.”

He comes closer, but I am not afraid. I smile wider, enjoying it. “Will you seduce them too?”

I laugh a little. “No, I don’t think so.”

And naturally this requires a continuance!

Thanks for the witty snapshot,

-KS

AH that was so good! I really, really enjoyed that. The characterization was excellent, the story slipped so seamlessly between the canon moments and your own, and the repetition and flow of the prose showed a lot of polish and how much care and effort you put into the writing. Wow. I'm dead impressed, and not a little envious. :)

My only nitpick is the use of the word lightening instead of lightning. Only thing.

I LOVED IT! Though you already knew that. and did i mention liking Trowa getting Quatre up against the door? Because I did. 'Cause it was awesome! Great story!